The term ‘test software’ is used to describe a software product whose primary function is to examine how a system is functioning. The test software collects its input from agents, which are individual members of a system being tested.
Some examples where test software is employed include mobile or wireless phone networks and other types of telecommunication networks or systems, river water quality monitors and automobile performance test systems. Networks or systems are often geographically and/or temporally distributed. The test software for such systems must collect data from different locations or at different times to test such a system.
Despite the many advances that have been made in the field of wireless network testing, certain problems persist. These problems include an inability to synchronize the execution of test flows between or among flows or sides in an open manner that employs common standards, an inability to synchronize execution between flows (or virtual threads of execution) except when using a proprietary interface, and an inability to test wireless services that depend on orders of execution between flows unless a proprietary interface is included in the system architecture.
Agilent's Wireless QOS Manager (WQM) is capable of running multi-step, multi-sided tests. However, the SIGOS Site application with which WQM currently integrates is a proprietary interface. In consequence, data being shuttled between one flow and another (or from one side to another) must first flow through the proprietary SIGOS Site infrastructure. A system being tested that does not contain a SIGOS Site infrastructure will not permit synchronization between or among flows or sides.
What is desired is a Wireless QOS Manager having the ability to synchronize test execution between or among sides and/or flows, whether or not a SIGOS or other proprietary site infrastructure is being used.
The following publication and patent application, each hereby incorporated by reference herein in its respective entirety, disclose various prior art teachings concerning WQMs:                Agilent Technologies, Inc. Information Sheet entitled “Agilent OSS QoS Manager” viewable at http://we.home.agilent.com/cgi-bin/bvpub/agilent/Product/cp_Product.jsp?OID=536882909&NAV_ID=-536885380.536882909.00&LANGUAGE_CODE=eng&COUNTRY_CODE=ZZ&CT=PRODUCT&JPID=/comms/firehunter        U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/736,835 entitled “Sequential Coordination of Test Execution and Dynamic Data” to Bingham        
As those skilled in the art will appreciate after having read and understood the present Summary, Figures, Detailed Description and Claims, at least some of the devices, systems and methods disclosed in the foregoing publication and patent application may be modified advantageously in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.